"That's a great example you've set for everyone" - Rajasthan Royals head coach praises Karun Nair for remaining positive despite being axed from playing XI
Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured a stunning 29-run victory in their IPL 2022 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.
While the team's coach Kumar Sangakkara lavished praise on the players for their inspiring performances, he also lauded Karun Nair, who was left out of the playing XI.
In a video shared by RR on social media, Sangakkara mentioned how, despite being axed from the starting XI, Karun Nair remained energetic in the dugout. He lauded the right-hander for being completely invested in the match and suggested that his attitude would benefit the IPL team.
The cricketer-turned-coach also acknowledged that Nair hasn't had significant opportunities to prove his worth in this year's IPL. Sangakkara stated that even though Nair was disappointed, he still adopted a positive approach and set a great example for others.
The Sri Lankan legend said:
"There's one other mention I would like to make who didn't play in the game. But at 1:30 pm today, when Sanju and I went to Karun's room, knocked on his door and told him that he wasn't playing, even though he hasn't had a single chance to really show us what he can do; I know that it really hurt and disappointed him. But the way he was in the dugout today, the energy, the attitude, the noise, he was so invested in the game, he was off his seat, he was reading the game and that attitude really feeds everyone out there. That's a great example you've set for everyone."
Nair has featured in just two matches in IPL 2022 so far. He got to bat in only one of them. The 30-year-old was dismissed for three against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in his maiden appearance this season.
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"It was good to give Jos Buttler a break today" - Kumar Sangakkara on the in-form Rajasthan Royals batter
England's keeper-batter Jos Buttler has been in superlative form this season. He has emerged as the top performer with the bat for Rajasthan Royals. With 499 runs to his name from eight matches, he is currently the leading run-scorer in IPL 2022.
However, he had a rare failure as he got out for just eight against RCB. Reacting to the same, Sangakkara stated that it was good to give the dynamic batter a break, as he has been the one doing most of the damage this season with the bat.
He added:
"Well done to everyone who contributed at least one run. All of it counts in the end when it comes to getting us to places where we have some sort of strength. And it was also good to give Jos Buttler a break today."
Proper team! 💗💥 https://t.co/tqjq58UMcN
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have managed six victories from their eight games at this juncture. They are comfortably placed at the top of the IPL points table 2022 with 12 points and an impressive net run rate of 0.561.